REAL GEORGE! - A Night at The Vagabonds

By Kevin Segura

**REAL GEORGE! – A Night at The Vagabonds**

It’s 1953.  Television is live, and is creating its first generation of stars…and few shine with the brightness of CBS’s folksy paterfamilias, Arthur Godfrey.  But when the Ol’ Redhead has to take time off to recuperate from surgery, pandemonium erupts the week he leaves his variety show in the hands of America’s daffiest and unpredictable Fab Four—The Vagabonds.  They’ve closed their famous Vagabonds Club in Miami for the night to come help out—and live television may never be the same.

Inspired by actual events, “REAL GEORGE! – A Night at The Vagabonds” showcases plenty of the tuneful zaniness of the group’s legendary nightclub and stage act, and features a re-creation of their memorable “Arthur Godfrey & His Friends” broadcast from 1953.

Read “REAL GEORGE!”… or you may never know the answer to these questions:

- Why does Al need four gallons of Super Sky Chief?

- Where do “Little Godfreys” come from?

- And just what does the “Q” stand for, anyway…?

It’s funny.  It’s fabulous.  It’s REAL GEORGE! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kevin Segura
• Release date: Oct 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519915146

Book preview

CAST:

DOM GERMANO (guitar)

PETE PETERSON (stand-up bass)

AL TORRIERE (guitar)

TILLIO MUMBLES RISSO (accordion)............THE VAGABONDS

ELEANOR KUUIPO PETERSON - Pete's wife

FRANK LINALE - Musical Director and Manager of the Vagabonds

JACK GOLDMAN - Owner of Miami's Clover Club

CAMERON EDWARDS - CBS News reporter

ARTHUR GODFREY - Singer, talent scout and beloved TV host

JULIUS LaROSA - Boy Singer, one of the Little Godfreys

TONY MARVIN - Arthur's longtime announcer

SAM GREELEY - Head of CBS Broadcast Standards department

FRANK SORENSON - CBS Programming Vice-President

ANN SCOFIELD - Assistant Production Coordinator

UNSPECIFIED 1950s-STYLE TAP DANCE ACT

UNSPECIFIED 1950s-STYLE GIRL SINGER ACT

ASSORTED CHORUS GIRLS AND CBS PRODUCTION STAFF

ACT ONE:

SCENE ONE

(The curtain opens on a dark stage.  Slowly, a spotlight illuminates a 1950s-style television, which sits in the middle of the stage.  The old B&W set flickers to life, displaying an Indian-head test pattern.  As the audience watches the image [either a larger overhead screen is also on, or several other smaller sets are scattered throughout the theater, to make the viewing easier], the image cuts to a 1950s TV newsman, beginning a live report...)

EDWARDS:

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is Cameron Edwards, with the CBS mobile unit.  Tonight, however, it’s not very mobile, because we’re actually coming to you from backstage here at the CBS New York studios.

Now in my time as a CBS correspondent, I’ve been to war zones, crime scenes and natural disasters... but tonight may be the perilous assignment of all.  I’m about to go nose-to-nose with the hosts of tonight’s special edition of Arthur Godfrey & His Friends.  As those of you who have followed our news coverage and special bulletins no doubt know, Arthur is currently recuperating at his farm in Virginia after a long-delayed hip surgery, so he’s been forced to miss some of his programs for the past few weeks.  Fortunately, a lot of his famous Friends have stepped in to help keep the show running in his absence, and this week promises to be a wild one— because taking center stage tonight will be Arthur’s very good friends— The Vagabonds!  (gestures off-camera to them) Boys, come on over.

VAGABONDS (AS A GROUP):

Hi, Cameron, Good Evening, Mr. Edwards, etc.

EDWARDS:

Hello, fellas.  Welcome to New York.

VAGABONDS (AS A GROUP):

Thanks, Thank you", etc.

EDWARDS:

Well, I should say Welcome back— you’re certainly no strangers here, are you?

DOM:

That’s true, we’ve been here a time or two.

AL:

Yeah, we’re going to win that Amateur Hour trophy yet.

PETE:

(intones to the camera, as an announcer)

And remember friends, that number in New York is Judson 6-7000.

EDWARDS:

(smiling)

Oh, I’m pretty sure you’re a cinch to win it sometime.  Now, for those of our viewers out there that might not know your story, how long have you been playing together?

DOM:

(thinking back) Let’s see— twelve or thirteen years now.

EDWARDS:

Another overnight success story, eh?

DOM:

Oh, yeah.  Actually, Tillio and I started the group about 20 years ago in San Francisco.  We used to grab our instruments every day and play on the ferry boats that ran between San Francisco and Oakland.

EDWARDS:

Really?

PETE:

Why do you think they ended up building the Bay Bridge?

DOM:

Yeah, well—we got better, and ended up opening a club in San Francisco.  (gestures to AL & PETE) That’s where we found these two vagrants—

PETE & AL:

(correcting him) Vagabonds.

DOM:

Whatever.

EDWARDS:

And just for the benefit of our viewers, (points to each Vagabond in turn)  Dom- you and Al both play the guitar and sing... Pete- you play